Aircraft, including fixed wing aircraft, and wind energy blades can be made of a composite material. During operation, for example, the composite structure can be damaged due to ballistic and other sources. The damaged structure can create passages through which moisture and other contaminants can penetrate and further damage the material. In an aircraft, the damaged structure can also affect the crew's confidence in the integrity of the airframe. In some instances, the damage can be severe enough that the composite material must be repaired before the aircraft can resume operations.
If a repair is required, current methods are undesirable for several reasons. First, many of the current repair materials must be stored under specific conditions. With limited resources, it can be difficult to meet these storage requirements. Also, the ability to repair the damaged composite structure can require significant time and resources. Thus, the aircraft may be unavailable for use until such repairs can be made. In addition, many of the repairs require specialized training for the crew.
Carbon fiber material can provide the most durable repair, but conventional wet layup repair processes can be messy and time consuming. These processes require special storage requirements and often lead to inconsistent repair quality.
Thus, a need exists for a process of repairing a composite material such as a panel on an aircraft. There is an additional need for a system or system that can quickly complete the method of composite repair and also provide an automated, interactive training and repair software for completing the repair process.